Overview

• The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced a competition for the development of a commercial space capsule for cargo transportation to the International Space Station (ISS), slated for a 2028 launch.
• The ESA's competition winner will receive some funding and technical support but must also fund part of the development and operate the vessel on a commercial basis, selling the resupply service to the ESA.
• The ESA intends to replicate the successful procurement model of NASA, which has significantly relied on SpaceX for space transportation services.
• European launch capabilities currently face challenges, with significant delays in the development of Europe's own Ariane 6 rockets and reliance on American and Russian launch services. The ESA has turned to SpaceX for the launch of four Galileo satellites in 2024.
• The European SpaceTech industry, compared to rivals like the US and China, is experiencing a huge funding gap, largely due to a lack of competition and government-initiated public-private partnerships, often seen in American and Chinese space programs.